The invention relates to a process for smoking foodstuffs and to an apparatus for carrying out the process.
FR-A-2201038 discloses a process for smoking foodstuffs, in which a treating medium is circulated through a treatment chamber, to which treating medium there is added during circulation liquid smoke. In that process, smoking of the foodstuffs is effected in that finely divided droplets of liquid smoke are fed into the treating medium (air) circulated through the treatment chamber, the droplets optionally being evaporated on a heated surface.
In another known smoking process, liquid smoke is atomized in the treatment chamber using compressed air. In that process, circulation of the treating medium is interrupted for the duration of the atomization.
DE-A-4234656 discloses a smoking process in which liquid smoke is sprayed directly into the intake nozzle of a fan with which the treating medium is circulated in the treatment chamber.
The known processes are not completely satisfactory as regards the uniformity, the colour quality and colour stability and occasionally as regards the taste of the products. In so far as separate heating surfaces are arranged in the path of the circulated treating medium (generally predominantly air), these are susceptible to contamination, wear and tear and faults.
Furthermore, a common factor of the known processes is that the total manufacturing time for foodstuffs smoked with liquid smoke is comparatively long, since the smoking and an additionally necessary cooking or cooking until done of the foodstuffs is effected in two successive treatment steps.